FDA - NEWS - SOUTH DADE PAC

This is a story about Miami-Dade County's fancy new performing arts center. Not that one. The other performing arts center, the one almost no one has heard of.

This one -- the $44 million South Miami-Dade Cultural Center -- breaks ground on Tuesday. In Cutler Rid ... ahem ... Cutler Bay.

Born from the same plan that gave rise to the publicly financed Performing Arts Center now under construction near downtown Miami, but scarcely noticed, the South Miami-Dade center is a scaled-down version of its big sibling.

Mini-PAC hardly skimps, however.

Designed by Arquitectonica, Miami's world-famous architecture firm, in dashingly modern style -- a pair of angular glass boxes straddling a plaza -- it boasts nearly 1,000 seats in its main hall and the same renowned acoustical and theatrical designers as Big PAC.

But county officials say the resemblance ends there. They say they have applied lessons from Big PAC, which is two years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget, to ensure the South Dade center -- to be paid for with tourism tax money, county bonds and state grants -- is finished on time in late 2007 and within budget.

The target audience: Mainly South Miami-Dade residents who have been too long deprived of a local arts venue, but for whom Big PAC might be too distant or too high-toned. (The swells are welcome, too.)

THE PERFORMERS

Contemplated performers: emerging artists, popular entertainers, community actors and smaller local groups who lack big names or big donors and cannot fill larger halls like the PAC's or the Miami-Dade County Auditorium.

Call it the people's PAC.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Dennis Moss, a key driver behind the new center, predicts it will bring a ''cultural revolution'' to the South Miami-Dade masses.

''It can host the most elegant of performances down to community plays,'' Moss said. ``I don't want it to be an elitist facility.''

The South Dade hall, which will occupy six acres next to the South Miami-Dade Government Center at Southwest 107th Avenue and 211th Street, came out of a deal to secure the support of Moss and other county commissioners for the big PAC in 1993. Overshadowed by the far larger and more expensive PAC, it has received scant publicity. Moss first proposed the idea as part of a post-Hurricane Andrew recovery strategy for South Miami-Dade.

At the time, some questioned the wisdom of erecting a state-of-the-art auditorium in what was then out-of-the-way Cutler Ridge -- now newly incorporated as the city of Cutler Bay.

Ironically perhaps, a burst of controversial development in South Miami-Dade, once a mostly rural area better known for tubers than tubas, has put the former outpost at the geographical center of population for the county, delivering a large potential audience for the new facility.

''It's been a long time coming,'' Moss said. ``People scoffed and laughed at the notion of a cultural arts center in South Dade.''

SEEN AS CATALYST

County planners hope the center will also work as a catalyst for redevelopment of a corner of the county that can use it. Across the street, Southland Mall, formerly Cutler Ridge Mall, has struggled since Andrew trashed the neighborhood. So have other area businesses.

As nearby groves and farmlands are paved over, South Miami-Dade needs a new identity, some kind of identifiable center -- and a planned urban village around the cultural center could provide it, Moss said.

A master plan for the area, which lies at the intersection of the Florida Turnpike extension and U.S. 1, would tie in the county regional library, the government center and the mall, and add housing, restaurants and local retail.

''Once this facility is built, and we move to create the village, that will become the epicenter of activity in the South Dade area,'' Moss said. ``The whole idea is to create a center where people can work, shop and really enjoy themselves, so that we bring real life, a feeling of place, to the entire area.''

COUNTY CONTROL

Unlike Big PAC, which will be run by private group, the South Miami-Dade center will be managed by the county's Department of Cultural Affairs. It would be the first venue under its control, and forms part of a broader package of nearly 20 cultural facilities the county is helping to build or renovate around the county.

Two opened earlier this year: the new Lou Rawls Performing Arts Center at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, and the renovated Hialeah High School auditorium, which will double as a community performing arts center for a city that lacked one.

''Miami-Dade County is an enormous place, and our idea was to develop a network of neighborhood facilities close to where audiences live and work,'' said Michael Spring, the county's cultural czar.

Big PAC aside, the South Miami-Dade center is the grandest, filling a gap in public facilities in between the Big PAC or Gusman Center downtown and smaller venues like Miami Beach's Colony Theater, now under renovation.

THE MAIN HALL

Its main hall is equipped with a large stage, an orchestra pit and plenty of backstage space, making it suitable for everything from lectures to dance to theater and Broadway shows, Spring said. The second, smaller building will contain rehearsal space, a smaller auditorium and classrooms.

A translucent wall on the face of the main hall will be animated by computer-controlled bulbs that will shoot patterns of light across the wall at night, an artwork by Robert Chambers.

Outdoor performances and public fairs can take place in the plaza or on a natural grassy amphitheater where the center's property slopes down to the Black Creek Canal. Someday, a promenade could be built along the waterway, Moss said.

The center's $1 million annual operating budget will be covered by tourism taxes and rents, and the facility should break even, Spring said. The county is also seeking a corporate sponsor for the facility's naming rights.

''We've lavished a lot of attention on this,'' Spring said. ``A building like this would be the envy of many cities.''




			New, Stylish Arts Center Could Change South Dade County leaders are touting a planned multimillion-dollar public arts palace-- and it's not the one you're thinking of. Miami Herald, November 28, 2005 By ANDRES VIGLUCCI This is a story about Miami-Dade County's fancy new performing arts center. Not that one. The other performing arts center, the one almost no one has heard of. This one -- the $44 million South Miami-Dade Cultural Center -- breaks ground on Tuesday. In Cutler Rid ... ahem ... Cutler Bay. Born from the same plan that gave rise to the publicly financed Performing Arts Center now under construction near downtown Miami, but scarcely noticed, the South Miami-Dade center is a scaled-down version of its big sibling. Mini-PAC hardly skimps, however. Designed by Arquitectonica, Miami's world-famous architecture firm, in dashingly modern style -- a pair of angular glass boxes straddling a plaza -- it boasts nearly 1,000 seats in its main hall and the same renowned acoustical and theatrical designers as Big PAC. But county officials say the resemblance ends there. They say they have applied lessons from Big PAC, which is two years late and tens of millions of dollars over budget, to ensure the South Dade center -- to be paid for with tourism tax money, county bonds and state grants -- is finished on time in late 2007 and within budget. The target audience: Mainly South Miami-Dade residents who have been too long deprived of a local arts venue, but for whom Big PAC might be too distant or too high-toned. (The swells are welcome, too.) THE PERFORMERS Contemplated performers: emerging artists, popular entertainers, community actors and smaller local groups who lack big names or big donors and cannot fill larger halls like the PAC's or the Miami-Dade County Auditorium. Call it the people's PAC. Miami-Dade Commissioner Dennis Moss, a key driver behind the new center, predicts it will bring a ''cultural revolution'' to the South Miami-Dade masses. ''It can host the most elegant of performances down to community plays,'' Moss said. ``I don't want it to be an elitist facility.'' The South Dade hall, which will occupy six acres next to the South Miami-Dade Government Center at Southwest 107th Avenue and 211th Street, came out of a deal to secure the support of Moss and other county commissioners for the big PAC in 1993. Overshadowed by the far larger and more expensive PAC, it has received scant publicity. Moss first proposed the idea as part of a post-Hurricane Andrew recovery strategy for South Miami-Dade. At the time, some questioned the wisdom of erecting a state-of-the-art auditorium in what was then out-of-the-way Cutler Ridge -- now newly incorporated as the city of Cutler Bay. Ironically perhaps, a burst of controversial development in South Miami-Dade, once a mostly rural area better known for tubers than tubas, has put the former outpost at the geographical center of population for the county, delivering a large potential audience for the new facility. ''It's been a long time coming,'' Moss said. ``People scoffed and laughed at the notion of a cultural arts center in South Dade.'' SEEN AS CATALYST County planners hope the center will also work as a catalyst for redevelopment of a corner of the county that can use it. Across the street, Southland Mall, formerly Cutler Ridge Mall, has struggled since Andrew trashed the neighborhood. So have other area businesses. As nearby groves and farmlands are paved over, South Miami-Dade needs a new identity, some kind of identifiable center -- and a planned urban village around the cultural center could provide it, Moss said. A master plan for the area, which lies at the intersection of the Florida Turnpike extension and U.S. 1, would tie in the county regional library, the government center and the mall, and add housing, restaurants and local retail. ''Once this facility is built, and we move to create the village, that will become the epicenter of activity in the South Dade area,'' Moss said. ``The whole idea is to create a center where people can work, shop and really enjoy themselves, so that we bring real life, a feeling of place, to the entire area.'' COUNTY CONTROL Unlike Big PAC, which will be run by private group, the South Miami-Dade center will be managed by the county's Department of Cultural Affairs. It would be the first venue under its control, and forms part of a broader package of nearly 20 cultural facilities the county is helping to build or renovate around the county. Two opened earlier this year: the new Lou Rawls Performing Arts Center at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, and the renovated Hialeah High School auditorium, which will double as a community performing arts center for a city that lacked one. ''Miami-Dade County is an enormous place, and our idea was to develop a network of neighborhood facilities close to where audiences live and work,'' said Michael Spring, the county's cultural czar. Big PAC aside, the South Miami-Dade center is the grandest, filling a gap in public facilities in between the Big PAC or Gusman Center downtown and smaller venues like Miami Beach's Colony Theater, now under renovation. THE MAIN HALL Its main hall is equipped with a large stage, an orchestra pit and plenty of backstage space, making it suitable for everything from lectures to dance to theater and Broadway shows, Spring said. The second, smaller building will contain rehearsal space, a smaller auditorium and classrooms. A translucent wall on the face of the main hall will be animated by computer-controlled bulbs that will shoot patterns of light across the wall at night, an artwork by Robert Chambers. Outdoor performances and public fairs can take place in the plaza or on a natural grassy amphitheater where the center's property slopes down to the Black Creek Canal. Someday, a promenade could be built along the waterway, Moss said. The center's $1 million annual operating budget will be covered by tourism taxes and rents, and the facility should break even, Spring said. The county is also seeking a corporate sponsor for the facility's naming rights. ''We've lavished a lot of attention on this,'' Spring said. ``A building like this would be the envy of many cities.'' Copyright 2001 Fisher Dachs Associates